Seventeenth-Century Occupations

Seventeenth-Century Occupations Helen Hutchison Woodroofe Fr HIS LIST has been compiled from English ship's lists giving the occupations of passengers to America, 1620-1670. The occupations cover a wide range from skilled craftsmen and artificers to common laborers. All tended toward the practical: the need for housing, home furnishing, clothing, tools and household needs, animals, food and farm products. There is little evidence during this time period of the more frivolous trades, i.e., wig makers, portrait painters or dancing masters. The more obvious trades have not been defined; however, in some cases the 17th-century definition differs from our 20th-century conception. Ale Draper: an innkeeper or alehouse keeper. Apothecary: one who sells spices, drugs, comfits and preserves. Apprentice: a learner of a craft, bound by legal agreement to serve an employer, with the view of learning a trade or craft. Armsmaker: a maker of weapons for which gunpowder is used. Baker. Barber. Barber-Surgeon: a practitioner of surgery or dentistry. Beadle: one who makes public proclamations; a herald. Blacksmith. Boatswain: a ship's officer in charge of sails and rigging. Bodymaker [or Bodicemaker]: a maker of a quilted garment with whale—bone stays worn by women. Bolting-cloth Weaver: a maker of fine cloth used in milling to sift flour. Brassfounder: one who casts objects made of brass. Brazier: one who works in brass. Brewer. 319 320 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Brewery Worker. Bricklayer. Broadweaver: a weaver of broad cloth, a fine, plain woven cloth used chiefly for men's garments. Butcher. Buttonhole Maker. Button Maker. Cabinetmaker: one whose business is to make cabinets and the finer kinds of joiners work. Calenderer: one who presses cloth or paper in a roller machine or calender. Camlet Maker: one who makes a fabric of silk and wool, a fine lustrous stuff which was often dyed bright red. Cannonier: an artillery man who manages the laying and firing of a cannon; a gunner. Cardmaker: a drawer of maps and charts. Carpenter: "an artificer in wood," as distinguished from a joiner or cabinetmaker, does the heavier work as in the framework of houses and ships. Carriage Maker. Carrier: a bearer; or bearer of messages; one who carries mortar for masons. Chandler: one who trades in or makes candles; a retail dealer in provisions. Chapman: a peddler; a trader or dealer. Cheesemonger: one who deals in or sells cheese. Chimrgeon: one whose profession is to cure bodily diseases and injuries by manual operation; a surgeon. Citizen: an inhabitant of a city or town possessing civil rights and privileges; a freeman. Clerk: a scholar; a cleric [clergyman]; a scribe; a keeper of accounts. Clothier: a maker of woolen cloth; a seller of cloth and men's clothes. Clothmaker: a manufacturer of woolen cloth. Seventeenth-Century Occupalions 32 1 Clot weaver. Clothworker. Coal Miner. Coffinmaker. Collier: a procurer or supplier of charcoal. Comber: one who dresses wool or flax; to comb or separate fibers. Cook. Cooper: a maker or repairer of casks, barrels and tubs. Coppersmith. Cordwainer: a worker in cordovan leather; a fine shoemaker. Currier: a dresser or dyer of leather; a person who tends horses. Cutler: one who makes or deals in, or repairs knives or cutting utensils. Draper: one who makes or deals in woolen cloth. Drawer: a tapster in a tavern; an operator in industry; a draughtsman. Drover: one who drives droves of cattle or sheep to market; a dealer in cattle. Edge Toolmaker: a maker of cutting weapons or tools. Farrier: one who shoes horses; one who treats diseases of horses. Fellmonger: one who deals in fells [the skin or hide of an animal]. Feltmaker: a maker of a kind of cloth or stuff made of wool, or of wool and fur which was roiled and pressed. Fisher. Fisherman. Fishmonger: one who deals in fish. Fla dresser: one who prepares flax for spinning. Fletcher: one who makes or deals in arrows. Fuller: one who fulls cloth, to treat or beat cloth to clean it. Fustianmaker: a maker of coarse cloth of cotton and flax. Gardener. Gentleman: one of gentle birth; one entitled to bear heraldic arms. 322 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Girdler: a maker of belts. Glazier: a maker of glass. Glover. Goldsmith. Grazier: one who grazes or feeds cattle for market. Grocer: one who buys or sells goods by the gross; a wholesale dealer in spices and foreign produce. Haberdasher: a maker or dealer in hats and caps; a dealer in small articles such as thread, tape and ribbons. Hatmaker. Hatter, Hempdresser: one who hackles [splits and combs fibers of hemp]. Herdman: one engaged in herding cattle. Hotpresser: one who smoothes paper or cloth; a presser. Husbandman: a farmer. Inkhornmaker: a worker in horn; a maker of inkwells. Innkeeper. Ironmonger: a dealer in ironware, a hardware merchant. Joiner: a craftsman who works in wood; a maker of furniture or the fittings of a house or ship. Labourer. Lawyer. Leatherdresser. Leatherseller. Limner: an illuminator of manuscripts. Linendraper: a dealer in linen and calico. Linenweaver: a maker of cloth from flax. Locksmith. Maidservant. Manservant. Maltster: a maker of malt, the grain used in brewing. Mariner. Mason: a worker in stone. Master: a officer entrusted with the navigation of a ship; a ship commander. Seventeenth-Century Occupations 323 Mate: a ship's officer who sees to the execution of commands of the master or commander. Mercer: one who deals in costly fabrics; a small wares dealer. Merchant. Merchant Tailor. Metalman: a worker or dealer in metal. Miller. Milliner: a vendor of "fancy" wares or articles of apparel, bonnets, gloves and ribbons. Millwright: a mechanic who sets up mills. Minister: a servant or attendant; a person of religious orders; a clergyman; a high officer of state. Nailer: a nail maker. Notary Public: a public officer assigned to draw up or attest to documents; a clerk or secretary. Ostler: one who tends horses at an inn; a stableman or groom. Painter. Painter-Stainer: a whitewasher. Palmer: a pilgrim in the Holy Lands; a wanderer. Paviour: one who paves or lays pavement. Pinmaker. Pinner: one who makes pins; an officer whose duty is to impound stray beasts. Pipemaker. Plasterer. Ploughwright, Plowright: a maker of an agricultural instrument that prepares the soil for sowing and planting. Potter. Potmaker. Printer. Quarrier: one who quarries stone. Rector: a parish parson; a minister; the headmaster of a school. Refiner of Pewter. Ribbonmaker. Ropemaker. 324 The Penny Ivania Genealogical Magazine Rugmaker. Saddler. Sailor. Sailmaker. Salter: a manufacturer or dealer in salt. Sawyer: a workman who saws timber. Saymaker: a maker of cloth of a fine texture resembling serge, a mixture of wool and silk. Schoolmaster. Scrivener: a professional penman; a clerk. Seafaringman. Seaman. Sergemaker, Sergeweaver: a maker of woolen fabric. Servant. Servant Boy. Servant Girl. Sherman, Shearman: one who shears woolen cloth. Shipwright: one employed in construction of ships. Shoemaker. Cobbler. Shopkeeper. Shuttleworker: a weaver. Silk Merchant. Silkweaver, Silkworker. Skinner: a preparer of animal skins. Smith: a worker in iron or other metals; a blacksmith or farrier; a forger; a hammerman. Soap Boiler: a maker of soap. Starchmaker: a maker of a substance obtained from flour used to stiffen fabrics. Stationer: a shopkeeper; a bookseller or publisher; a dealer in writing materials. Surgeon: a medical man; one who heals or treats wounds; a chirurgion. Surveyor of Ordnance: one who oversees military supplies, weapons, etc. Tailor. Tallow Chandler: one who makes or deals in candles made of animal fat. Seventeenth-Century Occupations 325 Tanner: one who tans animal hides converting them to leather; a barker. Thatcher: one who thatches roofs of houses, corn or hay ricks. Tiler: one who covers the roofs of buildings with tiles. Timberman: a person who deals or supplies timber; one who makes things of timber; a carpenter. Trader. Tucker: one who "fulls" and finishes cloth; a cloth finisher. Upholder: a dealer in second-hand articles; an upholsterer; an undertaker. Upholsterer: a seller of beds and bedding. Victualer: a purveyor of victuals or provisions; a provider of food and drink; an innkeeper. Vinedresser: one who prunes, trains and cultivates vines. Vintner: a wine merchant; an innkeeper who sells wine. Watchmaker. Waterman: a man who sells water on the streets; a mariner. Wax Chandler: a maker or dealer of candles made of beeswax. Weaver. Wheelwright. Wine Cooper: a bottler or retailer of wine. Wine Drawer: a maker of wine. Wire Drawer: one who draws metal into wire. Wood Sawyer: one who saws timbers. Wool Carder, Wool Comber: one who combs or cards wools. Wool Draper: one who deals in woolen cloth. Wool Winder: one who packs up fleeces for transport or sale. Worsted Comber: one who separates the fibers of woolen fabric. Yeoman: a man holding a small landed estate; a freeholder under the rank of gentleman. Note: These definitions are from The Oxford English Dictionary with citations relating to 17th-century usage of these terms.